COURTNEY PRESTHUS : Trial lawyer and barrel racer
By Tom Dickson
BARREL RACE COURSE
Her name is Courtney Presthus . She is a professional barrel racer . The registered name of her horse is Cool Chrome Guy , a . k . a Loki . Loki weighs 1,100 pounds . He is a registered Quarter Horse , the fastest horse in the world in a quarter mile , ergo the name , Quarter Horse . When they break the timeline at full speed , they are going 40-50 miles per hour .
Barrel racing is a timed rodeo event circling three barrels placed equidistant from each other in a triangle in the middle of the rodeo arena . The barrel race is run at a break-neck speed . The rider has the option of taking either the barrel on the left or the right . They have to circle all three barrels . Loki is trained to run to the barrel on the right for his first turn . Loki slows only slightly as he turns clockwise around the first barrel . If he is too close , Presthus presses with her right heel to keep him off the barrel . If he strays too far outside , she presses with her left heel to bring him in closer . A tight turn is the goal . Too far outside and time is wasted . Too close , and boom , the barrel is knocked over . Knocking over a barrel is a five-second penalty . A five-second penalty puts the rider out of the money .
They circle the first barrel and dash across the arena to the second barrel where they shift leads and turn counterclockwise . Loki then digs in for the third and final barrel where they make a final clockwise turn , before sprinting home to the finish line . They need to be under 18 seconds to be in contention .
Presthus is a professional barrel racer and member of the Women ' s Professional Barrel Racing Assocation .
Presthus is a member of the Women ’ s Professional Barrel Racing Association . She turned professional in 2020 , and rides in both professional and amateur events . The Mandan Fourth of July Rodeo is one of the professional events in our area . It is a big rodeo , spread out over three days . It is part of Cowboy Christmas . Ten straight days in June and July where cowboys and cowgirls compete in as many rodeos as they can find . It is 10 days of lots of windshield time for the riders . Lots of trailer time for the horses .
Presthus grew up near Burlington , and her love for horses began before she could walk . She has been barrel racing since she was two years old . Presthus attended Dickson State
16 THE GAVEL